Technical Field
The present invention relates to a memory management method, and more particularly, relates to a method and a system for memory management and a memory storage device thereof, which are capable of retaining the existing use information.
Description of Related Art
The markets of digital cameras, cellular phones, and MP3 players have expanded rapidly in recent years, resulting in escalated demand for storage media by consumers. The characteristics of data non-volatility, low power consumption, and compact size make a rewritable non-volatile memory module (e.g., a flash memory) ideal to be built in the portable multi-media devices as cited above.
In general, an initialization operation is performed for a memory storage device which uses the rewritable non-volatile memory module as a storage medium after said memory storage device is manufactured. Normally, the initialization operation is used to write related data (e.g., MBR (master boot record), PT (Partition table), PBS (Partition boot sector), system information, etc.) into the rewritable non-volatile memory module. However, after the memory storage device is used for a period of time, abnormal condition may occur due to human factors or other causes. When abnormal condition occurs, the initialization operation may need to be re-performed for the rewritable non-volatile memory module of the memory storage device, so as to execute a formatting operation for the rewritable non-volatile memory module in order to restore the memory storage device to factory settings. Practically, after the memory storage device is used, use information (e.g., bad block information, an erasing count, a used time, etc.) corresponding to the rewritable non-volatile memory module will be recorded. After the formatting operation is executed, the existing use information cannot be retained since information stored in the rewritable non-volatile memory module will all be erased. Accordingly, problems are likely to occur in use because a practical usage of the rewritable non-volatile memory module cannot be known. For example, the bad blocks may be used more easily, or a service life of the rewritable non-volatile memory module cannot be accurately estimated according to the practical usage. Therefore, it has become one of the major subjects for person skilled in the art as how to retain the existing use information after the initialization operation is re-executed.
Nothing herein should be construed as an admission of knowledge in the prior art of any portion of the present invention. Furthermore, citation or identification of any document in this application is not an admission that such document is available as prior art to the present invention, or that any reference forms a part of the common general knowledge in the art.